Andhra Pradesh: Women, kids to get nutritious food through Anganwadis

Amaravati: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will launch YSR Sampoorna Poshana and YSR Sampoorna Poshana Plus on September 7. The two schemes aim at providing nutritious food for pregnant women and lactating mothers along with children.

Though the schemes were slated to be launched on September 1, the programme was postponed for a week following the demise of former President Pranab Mukherjee, according to information and public relations commissioner T Vijay Kumar Reddy.

While YSR Sampoorna Poshana Plus is intended to supply nutritious food exclusively in 77 tribal areas covering eight ITDAs, 52 ICDS projects and 8,320 Anganwadi centres, all the remaining urban and rural areas in plain areas will be covered under YSR Sampoorna Poshana.

In order to address malnutrition and anaemia among pregnant and lactating mothers and children aged between 6-72 months, the state government has brought YSR Sampoorna Poshana Plus and YSR Sampoorna Poshana schemes to provide supplementary nutrition through Anganwadi centers.

As many as 30,16,000 pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children belonging to BPL families will be benefited from this scheme. While the previous government spent Rs 2,761 crore on providing a nutritious diet for pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children in a span of five years, now the state government will spend Rs 1,900 crore every year under this scheme.

Under YSR Sampoorna Poshana Plus, the state government intends to spend Rs 1,100 every month on each pregnant and lactating woman, Rs 620 on each child aged between 6-36 months, and Rs 553 on each child aged between 36-72 months, totalling Rs 307.55 crore per annum on 3,80,000 beneficiaries.

Under YSR Sampoorna Poshana, the state government will spend Rs 850 every month on each pregnant and lactating women, Rs 412 on each child aged between 6-36 months, and Rs 350 on each child aged between 36-72 months, coming to Rs 1555.56 crore per year on 26,36,000 beneficiaries.

In order to monitor the effective implementation of YSR Sampoorna Poshana, department of women development and child welfare developed a comprehensive mobile application to assess the service delivery and satisfaction levels of the beneficiaries.